BILL ANALYSIS
SB 578
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Date of Hearing: June 16, 1999
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Kerry Mazzoni, Chair
SB 578 (Poochigian, Mazzoni, Alpert) - As Amended: June 1, 1999
SENATE VOTE : 30-3
SUBJECT : Standardized Testing and Reporting Program: reading
list.
SUMMARY : Urgency measure that requires that the test publisher
who is selected to provide tests for the state's Standardized
Testing and Reporting (STAR) program must offer to sell school
districts customized reading lists that would be distributed to
parents along with score reports and to post the reading lists
on the internet. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires that the test publisher who is designated by the
State Board of Education (SBE) to provide standardized tests
under the STAR Program, beginning in 1998-99, must offer to
sell school districts "a schoolsite report that provides a
numerical distribution of the reading scores of all pupils who
took the STAR test."
2)Requires that the STAR test publisher also offer for sale to
school districts, annually beginning in 1998-99, customized
reading lists for individual pupils that may be included with
STAR test score reports that are reported to the pupil's
parents or guardian. Individual reading lists are to include
titles of literature that are appropriate to the pupil's
current reading ability, and will encourage the pupil to
increase his or her reading ability.
3)Requires that literature included in the customized individual
reading lists meet existing legal requirements for
textbooks adopted by the SBE.
a) The customized list and the titles listed on the
internet will include all titles that have been submitted
to the SDE and approved as being legally compliant and are
determined to meet the appropriate reading level.
4)Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) and
the SBE jointly certify that the process used by the process
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used by the publisher to determine the reading levels of the
reading lists meet the following criteria:
a) The process is educationally valid.
b) The process results in a reading list for each reading
span that provides titles at the pupil's current level the
next higher level.
c) The process results in selection from the universe of
titles from the department's legal compliance list that
matches each reading level.
d) The process is unbiased in the selection of publishers'
titles from the legal compliance list.
5)Requires that the titles on the customized reading lists shall
also be made available on the internet, with an index that
correlates STAR test reading scores to titles on the list that
would be suitable for pupils in each of the grades 2 through
11.
6)Provides that, subject to the appropriation of funds, the SPI
shall apportion to school districts up to fifty cents per
pupil, in order to allow the districts to purchase the
customized individual reading lists.
7)Specifies that for tests administered in Spring 1999, the
publisher shall develop the internet list no later that July
15, 1999 and make the customized reading lists available to
schools by September 30, 1999.
EXISTING LAW requires that all students in grades 2 through 11
be tested in the spring of each year on
a standardized, commercially published ("off-the-shelf"), test
of basic skills that is designated by SBE. This law establishes
the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program, under
which school districts are required to contract with the
commercial test publisher who has been designated by SBE, and
who has
agreed to provide the designated standardized test in accordance
with specified conditions.
SBE has currently designated the Stanford Achievement Test, form
9, (SAT9 or Stanford 9) test published by Harcourt Brace. This
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test provides individual student scores that are
cross-referenced to the publisher's national test taking
population ("national norm"), and Harcourt Brace is under
contract with individual school districts to provide test
booklets and individual student score reports, among other
things.
FISCAL EFFECT : Estimated $2,050,000 in 1998-99 and 1999-2000
(General Fund, Prop. 98). The costs assume a head count of
approximately 4,100,000 pupils in grades 2 through 11, funded at
a cost of $.50 cents per pupil.
COMMENTS :
Arguments in Support. The author and supporters cite the
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
findings that the "most powerful method for preventing reading
and learning problems is effective classroom instruction in the
early grades by well-prepared teachers and practice by the
students in the lessons being taught. Reading must be taught,
supported and sustained."
Arguments in Opposition. Opponents of the bill express concern
that providing a reading list based on standardized test scores
will hamper the diagnostic abilities of the teacher who must
determine the reading level and needs of each student. "A
reading score on the Stanford 9 does not determine a student's
reading level." Opponents also state that "this bill is a form
of censorship in that only certain titles would be allowed."
Lastly, there is concern that the charge of 50 cents per student
is a violation of free educational materials for every student.
Staff comments. The bill refers to "a customized reading list
for each individual pupil." The term "customized to each
pupil" may cause parents to assume that the list will actually
be customized, in that it will take into account student
preferences, cultural or religious perspectives, or other
aspects that would be expected when using such a phrase. It may
be more appropriate to refer to a customized reading list "based
on the pupil's STAR test results." The bill makes no mention
of the role of the teacher in this process. The committee may
want to consider whether a list of books will be useful to
parents alone, or whether input from the students teacher, based
on their interaction and observation of the student, about which
books from the list the student will likely enjoy will provide a
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greater benefit. The committee may also want to consider
whether, for optimal parent use, the reading list should contain
short summaries of the book content.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Central California Education Legislation Consortium
Fresno County Office of Education
Kern County Superintendent of Schools
State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Delaine Eastin
Opposition
Lakeside Union School District
Analysis Prepared by : Theresa Garcia / ED. / (916)319-2087